“The power confided in me will be used to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the government, and to collect the duties and impost but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be no invasion—no using force against or among the people anywhere”.
Yeah. Collecting tariffs was the one sure way to show federal power in action. Holding on to Fort Sumter was a fig leaf for Lincoln. As long as the national power was not openly contravened, he was willing to bide his time. Jefferson Davis knew time was not on -his- side, so he had Fort Sumter attacked once it was obvious Lincoln was not going to back down.
Walt
You are on the edge of an enlightment moment. The 'national power' you refer to was the financial system on which the Union was based. There was a crisis in the North as of March 11, 1855. Lincoln went to war to protect the tariff system.
When he spoke of Union, it was the financial system of the Union government he needed to save.
Blood for cotton.